Stefanos Tsitsipas ended a 17-month title drought with style at the Swiss Open in Gstaad. Before he left the podium, the 27-year-old took a special fondness for a very specific Swiss tradition. At the end of his winning speech, Tsitsipas addressed the organizers and made a request that prompted the crowd to laugh. 

“I heard that if you win the tournament here you get a cow, is that true?” he asked, a nod to Roger Federer, who famously received a cow as a homecoming gift after winning Wimbledon in 2003.

Tsitsipas defeated Belgium’s Raphael Collignon 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 in two hours and 17 minutes to win his 13th ATP Tour title and his first since Dubai in March 2025. The final was the fourth third-setter he played this week, which shows he had to grind through to get to the silverware. He won five of 13 break points against Collignon and got back into the game in the decider, breaking his opponent twice to cover up the set deficit. 

“It’s a crazy feeling right now,” Tsitsipas said afterwards. “I survived a marathon and it was a long week. I played some crazy matches in the past couple of days. Every single match felt like it was never finished and somehow I managed to convert every single time and get the victory. Today I couldn’t be more blessed, couldn’t be more happy. It’s been an incredible effort from my side to go out there and do that over and over again. I’ve dealt with some pain in the past couple of days, so I’ve had to withstand a lot of different things.”

The title is more than just a trophy for Tsitsipas. The victory in Gstaad brings his ranking to No. 55 after a disappointing 12-month campaign during which he has not appeared to be at his best as he was in the early days. He also became the first Greek player to win at the Swiss Alps tournament. While talking about his plans, he revealed that his immediate goal was to rest before the start of the North American hard-court swing. 

“I’m going back home. I will need one or two days off. It’s been a long week,” he said. “I’m looking forward to trying to do the best possible results in the U.S. swing and in order to do that I’ll need to be fresh and prepared for a long few weeks on the road.”

For the former world No. 3, the journey to regaining his best form has started in the homeland of his idol. 

Tsitsipas ends title drought

The win comes at a crucial time for Tsitsipas, coming just weeks after announcing his permanent break with his father and long-time coach, Apostolos. He has hired Thomas Perrin from Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy to coach him with guidance from Mouratoglou himself. The victory in Gstaad is the first major early sign that the rebuild is finally working, as the player had not won a tour-level event for a year and a half, and his ranking was trending toward its lowest since 2018.

This also marks a professional reset for the Greek since he broke up with Paula Badosa in July 2025, just after both experienced disappointing Wimbledon finishes that year. Later, his mother, Julia Salnikova, openly spoke about the trauma of the separation on her son, adding how the relationship had been complicated from the beginning.  “On the one hand, she distracted him from tennis, and on the other hand, the breakup hit him hard,” Salnikova said, adding that the intense media attention the couple attracted had quietly worn on Tsitsipas despite his insistence he was enjoying it.

Since then, Tsitsipas has found stability with his new girlfriend, American model and former collegiate tennis player Kristen Thoms. They started dating in late 2025 and made it public at the start of this year. Unlike Badosa, Thoms has no other tour commitments, and Tsitsipas has often attributed her presence to helping him through tough periods in matches. 

“She’s super cute. I love seeing her face in difficult moments. She’s the person I’m always seeking out for in difficult match moments,” he said earlier this year. “She’s played tennis herself, knows the psychology of tennis, and that’s what makes her special to be on the court.” 

His mother has since gone further, suggesting Thoms has been the steadying presence her son needed. “I think he’s matured in every way. And his girlfriend’s presence has helped him tremendously. She’s given him a very comfortable emotional life,” Salnikova said, adding that Thoms had folded into the family with remarkable ease.

That off-court stability is being carried on to the court. Thoms was seen sharing a moment of affection with Tsitsipas as he held the unique rock-and-gold trophy of Gstaad. But there was plenty for the runner-up to take as well, as Collignon advanced to his first ATP Tour final and moved up five ranks to a career-high ranking of world No. 37. That said, this week entirely belonged to Tsitsipas.